Violent crime and robbery in Sussex has soared, according to Home Office figures released today.

The county came fifth in a league table of 43 police force areas for attacks against people.

Violent crime, including muggings, sex offences and robberies, increased by 8.6 per cent.

Robberies increased in Sussex by more than a third in the year to September 2000.

However, police chiefs are hailing falls in vehicle crime and burglaries as a triumph for targeted operations.

Crime overall rose in Sussex by 2.3 per cent in the year ending September 2000 compared with a national average fall of 0.2 per cent.

Brighton and Hove councillor Ken Bodfish, a member of Sussex Police Authority, called for drastic action to combat street violence.

He praised action taken in Hove to increase patrols and believes Brighton should look at following suit.

Coun Bodfish said: "I am not happy and it is clear we have got to do better in Brighton. This is the sort of statistic that increases the fear of crime on our streets, particularly among the young and old.

"I do not believe parking a police van on the seafront is a great-enough deterrent. We need foot patrols and if young people knew officers were outside when they leave clubs in West Street they would all feel safer and there would be less crime."

David Gold, Tory prospective parliamentary candidate for Brighton Pavilion, said: "The rise in violence will cause great alarm among people in Brighton and Hove but will come as no surprise.

"People should be able to walk through our city without fear of being mugged, raped or robbed. Sadly, that will not be the case until the Government reverses the decline in police numbers in Sussex."

However, ministers today published figures showing a rise in Sussex police recruitment, with 149 recruits starting residential training so far this financial year compared with 85 recruits in 1999/2000.

Robberies shot up by more than a third in Sussex, increasing by 35.2 per cent - more than double the national increase of 20.8 per cent.

But the force says robbery still makes up less than one per cent of total crime. Spokesman Chris Oswick said the rise could be due to a drive to encourage foreign students to report attacks.